<p>I was wondering what I should expect from a phone interview. I'm an international in Australia and I have just been invited by my DREAM SCHOOL so I'm really very excited and that excitement is channeling itself into nervous impulses.</p>
<p>1: Are the sorts of things discussed during phone interviews different to those discussed during in-person interviews, the whole what is each person interested in and then looking for a fit. For some reason, I seem to associate them with more sell-yourself requirement. Is this an incorrect assumption?
2: What are the normal rates of acceptance from phone interviews? I suspect, but again I could be wrong, that the phone interviews reach a larger pool of candidates than in-person interview weekends. If anyone can cast any light on this, it would be great.
3: Would it be bad to ask the administrator who is scheduling the call any of these things?
4: Any advice generally about phone interviews?</p>
<p>I've never participated in a phone interview, but my guess is that you should treat it like an in-person interview as much as possible. Don't let the alternative arrangements prevent you from asking the questions you want -- the interview is a rare chance to attempt a gradstudent-to-program match, so use it wisely!</p>
<p>I had a phone interview for a research position a few years ago and actually liked it a lot -- sure, I wasn't able to see the facilites and labmates for myself, but it was much more relaxing. I could focus much more easily (I have a problem of trying to "read" people's expressions when they're talking, and get easily distracted and unnecessarily worried because of that) and felt totally at ease ... possibly because I was sitting on the sofa in my pajamas :)</p>
<p>Thanks Astrina. I'm looking forward to the last of those options, although because I've twisted my ankle and have been house-ridden this last week, a change of outfit might not be a bad idea!</p>